Occasional Paper Series

Caught between Afro-Southern Solidarism and Liberal Cosmopolitan values: Four Turning points in South

Africa’s Human Rights Foreign Policy

Professor Chris Landsberg

Director: SARChi Chair of African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy

Overview  Post-Apartheid South Africa has had to live up to high expectations as a promoter and defender of human rights unlike most other countries. Nonetheless, even in the most optimistic Mandela era human rights challenged pragmatic foreign policy decision-making.  The strength of South African foreign policy-making in the global arena directly relies upon its relations with other African states. This must be harnessed by sound ideology that brings together economic stability and human rights.  South African foreign policy is often treated as an elite function but the ICC debacle shows how domestic political actors can interfere to the detriment of foreign policy-making.

Introduction Turning point one: The negotiated transition and the “attempted” ethical South Africa’s foreign policy is entrapped: foreign policy it is trapped between Afro-Southern (or Africa-South-South) solidarism, on the one The first major fork in the road was the hand, and lofty liberal cosmopolitan pacted transition from racist apartheid and values, including human rights, on the white minority domination to negotiated other. There had long been a tension democratic order. Since the dawn of between the professed values of South democracy in 1994, South Africa’s foreign Africa’s foreign policy and its interests, a policy and international relations had tension that the post-settlement changed in unrecognisable ways from the governments had battled to square. decades of isolation and banishment Twenty-two years into the post-settlement which had preceded it. Having been on period, South Africa learnt that good the receiving end of human rights abuses intentions, proclamations and edicts were for decades under apartheid, the African not good enough in the hurly-burly of National Congress (ANC)-dominated world affairs. Beyond this, it was learnt that government led by Nelson Mandela felt declared good intentions in foreign policy duty-bound to show that it was different hold major responsibilities and serious from its destabilising predecessor regimes. repercussions, especially when tested South Africa vowed that it would become within the justice system. During the a “good world citizen” and would pursue a course of two decades, South Africa human rights-driven foreign policy that became increasingly uncomfortable with would take its cue from its constitutional the burdens of a pro-human rights order. The Republic’s foreign policy, it posture, and started to move towards a proclaimed, would be an “ethically driven” more pragmatic approach - ultimately in one and be based on the cosmopolitan the direction of a post-human rights values of human rights, democracy, stance. Four major turning points reveal international law and solidarity, co- themselves on the question of human operation, and placing Africa first. “Human rights and cosmopolitan values in South rights”, vowed Mandela, would be the Africa’s foreign policy, and in the course of “light that would guide our foreign this uncomfortable role.

policy”.1 So keen was Mandela on this post-settlement period with the crusade that he and former Minister of humiliating Nigerian imbroglio when the Justice Dullah Omar energetically Sani Abacha junta defied Mandela, Tutu championed the campaign for South and others’ counsel and intercession, Africa to sign up to the Rome Statute and executing Ogoni leader Ken Sarowiwa and domesticate the provisions for the a further 8 people in November, 1995. International Criminal Court (ICC) into Mandela set out to ostracise Abacha but South African law. soon found that he